The American Dream of a persistent Japanese painter who shares nostalgia with her delightful work
After graduating design school in Osaka, Mayumi Nakao (b. 1985, Kobe) realized her long-held dream of living abroad and moved to New York alone in 2013.
Encounters with artists from all over the world who came to New York to pursue their artistic dreams significantly changed her life. Inspired by their work and passionate efforts, she decided to enroll in the Art Students League where she began creating works using oil painting techniques.
In 2022, she held her first solo exhibition in New York. In 2023, she also held a solo exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, she has participated in numerous group exhibitions. In 2023, she was selected as one of the ten finalists for the Women Figurative Realist Painters category of The Bennett Prize, which targets female artists across the United States, and exhibited her works at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Michigan. Furthermore, she actively participates in art residencies such as Artist Recidency La Fourchette de Rose in Ivory Coast and she has experience in creating works in Venice, Italy, and Ivory Coast, Africa.